The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1887-11-16
For The Mirror.
PRISON REFORM.

PRISON REFORM.
A Few Prelininaries That Must Re
Settled Before Reform Can BE
Counted On.
There has arisen in the minds of wise and
philanthropic citizens of the United States,
who have had the leisure and opportunity
to observe its workings, the conviction that
the present system in vogue for the reten-
ton. restraint, utility and reformation of
the criminals of this country, was not only
a disgrace to cur boasted civilization, but
also a downright failure in all that is boast
ed as it's redeemng virtues, chief among
which is that great bugbear, the greatest
stumbling block that has ever stood in the
way of reform in this direction, viz: that a
prison should be self-sustaining and that the
taxpayers should never be burdened with
the support OF that element of society who
had tranSgressed its laws and that he should
be compelled to, in some degree, add wealth
to the state whose laws lie had been guilty
of Outraging. Now. In pursuance of this
course of reasoning, there was presented to
the minds Of tine powers that were, two
practical systems whereby the labor of
prisoners could be utilized with the least
possible outlay and the fullest possible re
turns compatible with the security Tin con-
finement) of the prisoner. These two sys-
TENS are the lease system and the contract
system, practically differing in many details
but morally and substantially the same
thing. Space fOrbids lengthy description
of either system. as the details are familiar
to all. 1t is sufficient to say that the two
systems have found footing and support in
the quarters that were most cOngenial to
their growth, owing to the degree OF hui
manity and advancement in their respective
strongholds. The first named lease system
is exclusively Southern institution. de-
signed by the citizens OF that benighted
region to fill the place left vacant by the
Proclamation of Emancipation. and the
revolving details OF cruelty and brutality
that are developed under its workings. fire.
quently find their way into the public press
and startle the world with barbaritieS that
would shame the Spanish InqusitiOn. So l
will abandon this system as unworthy
of consideration so far as the control
OF wards of the state is coll
cerned. l will draw over it the mantle of
charity. owing to the fact that l am unable
to draw down the anathemaS OF and out
ragged civilization on it's bestial workings.
And suffice to say that the shOrt-sghted pol
icy that permits the barter and sale of con-
victed human flesh and transfer of helpless
prisoners to the tender merceS of private
and unscruplOus spectators, OH the sole
ground that 1t is pecuniarily remunerative
and will relieve the taxpayers of the in
cumbency. will be negatived, il it is not
already, and Southern legislators convinced
that they are pouring water into sieve and
that what the treasury gains in gold society
loses in moral status and social security.
The contract system is in vogue in all the
Northern prisons. 1t is in it's character a
trifle more humane, for the simple fact that
the state retains its control of the prisoner
as far as practicable; but right there is the
rub. for the state to do its whole duty by
the prisoners and not clash with the con-
tractors is an impOsSibility. 1t was Gov.
Blackburn. of Kentucky, who in 1878 just
lY said to his state legislature: Il cannot
but regard the present system under which
the state prison is managed as reprOach to
the commonwealth. 1t is the system, not
the officer acting under it, with which l
find fault" The system springs from the
idea that the possession of the prisoners
person is an opportunity for the state to
make money regardless of moral or mortal
consequences and the prison whose annual
report shows the largest cash balance paid in
to the state treasury is the best penitentiary."
Through this system. in the main, the no